Hello
by Pinkelberry
Summary: An old photo album can reveal so much. But for Remus Lupin it only brings back happy memories, memories that cause so much pain when he has lost everything that ever mattered.
1. Chapter 1 Hello

Hello?

A/N: Inspired by Evanescence and Hello.

Flashback

"_Oh I'm so sorry, didn't see you there," the dark haired boy laughed his grey eyes filled with a youthful exuberance that only one who had no fear could show. Remus looked up, he was tired and weak and could only smile weakly from where he had fallen. A surprisingly strong hand reached out and pulled him to his feet. The dark haired boy helped Remus with his luggage, barely managing to carry his own off the train. "I'm Sirius by the way," he said, still smiling broadly. How any one could smile so much was beyond Remus as he smiled back. They reached the castle together two newly made friends about to embark on a whole new way of life. Sirius introduced him to another boy, with messy black hair and glasses over brown eyes, he was filled with the same youthfulness as Sirius, the same broad smile covered both their faces._

"_James meet Remus," Sirius said happily, "And Remus…well…meet James." _

* * *

Remus remembered well the first day he, Sirius and James had met, friends right from the beginning. A tear began to form in his eye as he looked at the photograph, the first one the three of them had ever posed for in their first year. Peter had come later, not long after the photograph had been taken. He remembered that day well, how could he forget?

* * *

"_I bet you can't levitate that rubber mouse into that cauldron," Sirius laughed, egging James on yet again, James laughed and successfully levitated the rubber mouse, but that was the easy part, he wasn't a very good aim and missed the cauldron by miles instead hitting the side of a very chubby looking boys cauldron, spilling the potion all over anyone close enough. "Ooops!" James whispered, still laughing, the chubby looking boy came over to them, his beady eyes almost filled with tears._

"_Oh I'm so sorry," James said, meaning every word, "Who're you anyway?"_

"_Peter, Peter Pettigrew," the chubby boy replied. For some reason the three of them became close friends with Peter, too close it would seem._

* * *

Remus wondered what it was about Peter that had made him seem so close to them, so close that they trusted him above all others. His eyes scanned the picture with Peter in it, the four of them were so happy and young, together forever as they had promised. But oh how that had changed. 


	2. Chapter 2 My immortal

My Immortal

A/N: this is chapter 2…still inspired by Evanescence but My immortal rather than Hello.

Flashback 

_Dumbledore carried Remus away, to weak to walk himself, now that the moon was full. The whomping willow thrashed its looming branches threateningly at him, but Dumbledore lifted a stick from the ground and prodded the knot in the tree. Everything went black for a few moments of excruciating pain; Dumbledore had fled long before in fear of the terrible creature that Remus would become. Remus turned his now wolf-like head, amber eyes still burning brightly taking in everything from a different perspective. His vision had become cloudy but his sense of smell had become extremely sensitive, he smelt three different smells at the same time, smells he recognised. But how? He let out a loud howl that shook the room he was in, he could not bear for his friends to see him this way, how much had they seen?_

* * *

That terrible night still haunted his memories, every moment that had led to him almost murdering his three best friends. But he never did, Sirius had shouted out to him, called out his name. He didn't need to see his second year photos; they were too painful to look at. He could remember how calm his wolf-like form had become from just hearing that voice; Sirius had that power of him. One that he shared with James, never Peter, Peter seemed afraid of Remus. A fear that Remus could sense and his anger was almost unleashed, until Sirius calmed him once more.

* * *

_"You have to promise!" Remus pleaded with his friends, "You just have to, no one is supposed to know!"_

_Sirius laughed, placing his hand on Remus' shoulder, "we're your friends, you don't have to worry," he said, "We're right here for you, and we won't tell a soul,"_

_James nodded, "Not even nearly headless Nick," he joked, no one laughed, and it was too much a serious situation to laugh. Peter stared quietly at his friend, fear still gripping his mind. He wanted to run and hide but whatever Remus was at the full moon didn't mean that he wasn't still his friend._

* * *

As Remus remembered the fear in Peter's eyes he almost laughed, even then he had the potential to be a traitor, he would've sold his secret for the right price if he could. But he didn't, he waited until he could take everything precious from Remus, everything he held close to his heart. He had taken away the only two people that had never feared what Remus was, never thought he was a monster.

* * *

_"We've got something to show you!" James said excitedly, whilst Sirius made sure the common room was completely empty. Remus had become very suspicious of his two mischievous friends over the past three years and this time was no different, except Peter was involved somehow, Peter was actually allowed to be involved in one of their insane plans. "What is it this time?" Remus asked, "Did you invent a knew formula for exploding dungbombs that makes the smell linger for over four days?"_

_Sirius and James exchanged glances and laughed. "No but good idea mate," James said. Sirius crouched down on all fours, and began to growl in pain, black fur began to spread all over his body and his perfect teeth grew longer and pointier. His ears moved up to the top of his head and a long black tail began to form at his back._

_He had become a large black dog. "How did you learn how to do that?" Remus gasped, he also wanted to know why but thought not to ask._

_"We've been learning all year, ever since we saw you in the Whomping willow," James explained as Sirius began to change back with an expression of pain all over his face. "We don't want you to be alone next time," he added smiling. Remus understood, it seemed that all three of his friends could do the same trick; he was amazed that they had done all that for him._

* * *

Remus would've loved to see them perform that trick once more, to see Sirius transform into a dog, James into a stag, and Peter into a rat. Curious that he chose such a small and sneaky creature, after all he had now done. He had become so sneaky. 


	3. Chapter 3 Tourniquet

Tourniquet

A/N: this is chapter 3, still inspired by Evanescence, but this time Tourniquet.

Flashback 

_James looked to Remus, "come on, we have to think of some sort of name, we did make this map after all," he whispered these words, after taking fearful glances around the common room for admiring listeners._

"_No, I made the map James, don't forget that," Remus reminded him sternly. James just smiled, his broad smile that seemed remove all the seriousness in Remus' heart._

_Sirius seemed quiet for a while, it was strange to see him actually thinking, the only time he put that much thought into something was when he was deviating a fantastically wonderful prank that would cause Filch to have a near fatal heart attack. _

"_Well my dear Remus, as for a group name I have no idea, however I do no, thanks to my utterly brilliant mind, that you shall be known as Moony, thanks to your furry little problem," he said after a while. Remus smirked, agreeing with this name instantly, "And you my dear Sirius will be hereby known as Padfoot, for your slightly leathery feet."_

"_Hey! My leathery paws_ _will rule the world one day Moony…the world MWAHAHAHA!" the newly named Padfoot laughed._

_James and Peter looked on at the scene, feeling left out, it was then that Padfoot turned to them. "James, by the power invested in my by the almighty me, I name thee Prongs, may it serve you well." James laughed at this, and bowed his head sarcastically to Padfoot, the two were now lost in fits of laughter. It was Moony who named Peter, Wormtail, it seemed fitting at the time. _

"_Now, for our group name," Moony said, bringing his hysterical friends from their moment of insane laughter, Padfoot went suddenly into a thoughtful trance._

"_I've got it!" Prongs exclaimed, "Prongs the magnificent and the insignificants," _

_Padfoot laughed again, and hit Prongs in the arm almost causing him to fall off his seat. "Can't it have something to do with Pirates?" Padfoot asked, "After all, we sneak around the school like pirates, we're wanted men by Filch, and we terrorize the Slytherins,"_

"_Sounds more like bandits to me Padfoot," Moony corrected, "But ok, what about the Marauders?"_

"_It's perfect!" the other three exclaimed simultaneously. _

* * *

Remus sighed, a smile creeping up his mouth, that was the moment the Marauders truly became the Marauders, not just a group of friends anymore but a legend to pranksters everywhere. If only it had lasted. If only it had been as perfect as they had thought it to be. But nothing is perfect.

Prongs walked into the common room, a triumphant smile on his would-be-handsome face. He strode up to the other Marauders with a stride of a proud man.

"_What happened?" Padfoot asked, "did McGonagoll give you win the Quidditch again or something?"_

"_No, there wasn't any Quidditch today," Prongs laughed, he was in an oddly cheerful mood that day. Moony and Wormtail both stood listening intently to what was going on, almost finding themselves laughing with the tension between the two best friends._

"_So, what is it?" Padfoot asked, guessing games were not his strongest point,_

"_Well, Lily said yes," Prongs replied a cocky smile plastered on his face._

_All three of the listening friends all burst out laughing, as though it was all a joke. It had to be, there was no way Lily would give in especially not after four years of tormenting Prongs with rejection. But it was true, they could see it in their friends eyes that this was no joke. _

* * *

Remus remembered that day well, it was virtually the end of the Marauders, the end of the four pranksters. Prongs changed after that day, became mature, or as mature as he could ever be. As Remus stared at the group photograph that had been taken in the fifth year he realized something he had never seen before, Lily was amongst them, forcibly pushing her way in. It was not Wormtail that destroyed the Marauders, but Lily the carrier of the child that would effectively be the destruction of them all. The bearer of Harry Potter. 


	4. Chapter 4 Everybody's fool

Everybody's fool Flashback 

_Padfoot stood by Moony's side watching from a safe distance as Prongs and Lily were all over each other as usual. "Doesn't it just make you want to puke?" Padfoot asked, bitterness in his voice like nothing Moony had ever heard. He would've laughed but he knew better than that now, Prongs' new relationship was driving Padfoot to the brink of insanity. _

"_You would think he would've learnt ages ago that Lily is the route of all evil, every inch of her fire red hair just speaks of hell," Padfoot almost spat, glaring at the girl who had stolen away his best friend, "oh well, at least I've got you Moony-old-boy, it's just you and me now," Moony stared in disbelief at his friend, he was being completely serious. _

"_What about Wormtail?" he asked, now that he had come to mention it, where was Wormtail? He had been very secretive recently. _

"_What about Wormtail?" Padfoot mimicked, a smirk creeping up the corners of his mouth, "Let's face it Moony, Wormtail was never best friend material now was he?"_

Remus felt himself smiling again; sixth year was the year that he and Padfoot had become closer, almost like brothers. Nothing would change the fact that Prongs and Padfoot were still best friends but Moony felt further accepted into the group. But he couldn't help but brush away the tears; the memories of happiness haunted him still and brought him into sadness.

"_MOOOONYY!" Padfoot cried dramatically, his perfect smile vanished from his face, Moony stared in wonder at what his friend was carrying, remembering that Padfoot had sworn to be allergic to them. _

"_Padfoot, are they books?" Moony asked, stifling his laughter, _

"_Yes Moony, they are books, which is precisely what I wanted you for," Padfoot panted, holding out the stack of books for Moony to take a better look. Moony understood suddenly, "You haven't done any revision have you Padfoot?" he asked disappointedly, "We've got our NEWTS in little under a week now, I thought you would have learnt from when you nearly failed your OWLS,"_

"_Me, learn, you are joking aren't you Moony?" Padfoot said sarcastically, "You will help me though, right?"_

"_Yes Padfoot, I'll help you," Moony replied in a bored tone._

Moony remembered well the scores he had helped Padfoot get that year, he had passed and well. The end of the year had come swiftly and Padfoot had sworn never to work another day in his life. How he had managed to keep that promise, no one knows. But he did, living off his inheritance and whatever money Prongs' mum sent him in the post (more than she'd ever done for Prongs himself.)


	5. Chapter 5 Taking over me

**Taking over me**

Flashback 

Padfoot smiled at Moony, a false smile that only worked to dishearten the already nervous man. Padfoot had been placed as best man at Prongs' wedding, he of course was not happy about this, Prongs was marrying that she-devil Lily who had spent the most part of her life torturing the four Marauders. But all that seemed to fade into distant memory as she walked passed them toward the front of the church where Prongs stood waiting. She looked so beautiful in her gown of ivory, her red hair styled with ringlets taking away the illusion of fire. The smile on Prongs' face was so wide that it almost made the three remaining bachelor Marauders want to laugh where they sat.

_Moony almost cried during the service, it was so beautiful, and after at the reception he listened intently to Padfoots well rehearsed speech._

"_Today we are joined here to mourn the loss of the greatest prankster, Quidditch player and ultimate wannabe hairdresser," this was followed by great laughter amongst the crowd, and a few dirty looks from Lily, "But there is another reason for our being here, as well as mourning the lost Marauder we are gaining a new refined member of the community, or so he wants you to think, we are proud, well I'm not proud of what he will become the old fart, but you are proud to welcome this man as Lily's husband, and might I add that she looks beautiful tonight." Many people in the crowd applauded, even Moony felt himself smiling. He glanced over to Wormtail; he seemed so distant, depressed even._

Remus tried to hold back the tears as he gazed at the picture of Prongs wedding, all four Marauders were in it, two on either side of Lily, Wormtail wasn't even looking at the camera, his eyes were down cast and almost in tears. He should've realised it then, it seemed that Wormtail's treachery had begun long before Prongs' death, before any of them had even taken Voldemort as a serious threat.

Padfoot ran as fast as he could through Moony's front door, an excited smile on his face. He was brandishing an official looking letter, much like the one Moony had just finished reading. "Moony!" he cried, "Mooooooooooooooooonyyyyyy!"

_Moony almost laughed at his friend's enthusiasm. _

"_Did you get the letter?" he asked,_

"_Yes Padfoot, I did," Moony replied, looking at his friend with much amusement. Padfoot sat crossed legged on Moony's best chair; Moony couldn't help but cringe at the mud he was leaving on the cream fabric. Padfoot couldn't care less; he was re reading the letter. _

"_The order of the phoenix," he was muttering, "Sounds very much like Dumbledore,"_

"_Of course it does," Moony, laughed, "Dumbledore is the one behind it all."_

_Padfoot wasn't listening, he was now making the letter levitate above his head, and it was obvious that he was bored. _

That day had filled the whole wizarding community with a new found hope; hope that they could be rid of Voldemort forever, and fear that he was becoming that much of a threat. Remus couldn't believe that he had been so foolish, Dumbledore should've realised that his last stand would bring in spies from Voldemorts Death eaters. Spies that turned out to be closer than Remus had ever imagined.


End file.
